Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (6 December) . . Page.. 3733 ..

Mr Corbell: You were not even there.

Mr Hargreaves: Only if you get there.

Mr Corbell: Only if you show up.

MR SMYTH: It is curious that members opposite say, "Only if you show up." It is interesting that those Labor Party members opposite have so little to do that they can actually turn up at these meetings at a moments notice. Mr Speaker, I notice that you went to the meeting as the government's representative, and the government is always represented at these meetings. What we have is Mr Corbell wandering around Canberra being all things to all people because it suits his purpose. What we have is this attempt to undermine what Mr Wood did as the planning minister because it suits Mr Corbell's purpose.

Mr Corbell spoke about his review of dual occupancy and I guess there is none so chaste as those that reform. If you go back to the record on dual occupancy you will see that between 1992 and 1995 the Labor Party approved 637 dual occupancies. Of course, Mr Corbell says that is okay. But when it comes to the fact that between 1995 and 2000 we have approved only 417 dual occupancies, it is then a case of losing the amenity of Canberra. It is therefore curious that Mr Corbell should have said in this place that we are approving 500 a year, and I do not believe he has corrected that statement in the Assembly yet.

The government uses the process that is laid out. I make the point which I have made many times in this place: it is curious that when the process that we use achieves what those opposite want then it is a good process but when the process that we use does not meet their needs, whether it be political or policy or whatever, the process itself is flawed. You can always attack the process but credit is not given to the fact that a large majority of these processes run quite smoothly.

I can recite for the benefit of those opposite the litany of achievements of this government because I know they enjoy hearing about them, but it is the same process that saw the Gungahlin town centre shifted and the protection of valuable temperate grass lands. It is the same process that saw recently 100 hectares added back into the open space of the ACT. It is actually the same process that will protect Tuggeranong homestead from the Labor Party who zoned it for residential. And it is the same process as we are using here.

I can understand that it is easy to wander around the territory, being all things to all people, but it is a different matter when you are confronted by the facts. We will continue to correct the twisted facts that Mr Corbell puts out. Mr Corbell's credibility is being quickly undermined because he continues to put out only half the story in respect of certain documents.

A request has been made that the Planning and Urban Services Committee look at this site. They can do so if they wish. (Extension of time granted.) I do not believe that is necessary because the work has been done. I believe that the concerns that are raised can be addressed by good planning, by good engineering and, indeed, by good process. But if

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .